Having received her mail-in ballot, Virginia Giblinwas surprised to see that it indicated that Leland Yeeis still running for secretary of state. His withdrawal from the race occurred after the ballot deadline, a worker at the Department of Elections explains. Giblin hopes he "doesn't win by name recognition alone."

(Incidentally, the very informative Department of Elections person with whom I made inquiries referred me to www.sfelections.org, where there's "Be a Voter," a perky, 30-second video urging San Franciscans to get out and vote. Five San Franciscans are featured: a skateboarder, a Sister of Perpetual Indulgence, a photographer, a musician and a foodie. It's appealing, and maybe yes, in San Francisco, everyone's an artist. But I was missing our other neighbors, the Muni operators, the grocery store clerks, the street people, the teachers, the nurses, the accountants ... and even the tech moguls.)

The San Francisco Art Institute said thanks on Wednesday to its late board president, David Robinson, and to Mary Robinson, who long ago served on the women's council of the institute and continues her lifelong support of the arts and education. The Robinsons were the designated honorees at this year's Vernissage, an exhibition of the work of emerging artists who are receiving master's degrees. The event was a benefit for a new fund that bears the Robinsons' name, and will go toward scholarships.

Architect David Robinson's accomplishments included designing Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa and the renovated Cliff House. "I'd like to go to Papa's restaurant for my birthday," Robinson's 9-year-old granddaughter, Ella, said recently to her grandmother. (From the expression on Mary Robinson's face as she told me that, it was clear that Ella's tribute was just as precious to her as the public SFAI honor.)

The Vernissage, in the Old Mint, was a feast literally (dinner by McCalls) and visually, as before dinner and after, guests peered at, stared at, gasped at, ogled and admired the art ... and of course, the artists' statements. These tend to be grand expressions of intention, along the lines of this one, from someone whose goal is to "examine the relationship between humanity and nature and the impact of the process of industrialization of the landscape." View pictures of some showstoppers at http://bit.ly/1oYrrW4.

I was particularly taken by Mary Corey March's interactive but low-tech work, a board on which typed self-descriptive messages ("I love my friends deeply"; "Someone I love has died"; "Luxury is important to me") were tacked to a large panel, and viewers were invited to wrap yarn around the ones that applied to themselves.

When I peered at it, the biggest collectors of yarn was at "I am independent"; "Art is my religion" was beloved even by atheists. Mary Robinson had recalled that the board at one time included patrons, faculty members and students. Did everyone behave themselves? A student once threw a shoe at one of the meetings, she said, and one year there was a streaker at commencement. It is art school, and that's the spirit.

P.S.: Dress of the evening was worn by Christina Noren, who said it was by Laloon, a designer in Hudson, N.Y. Close-fitting and made of see-through mesh, the dress was created in tribute to the Senator, an ancient tree felled on Jan. 16, 2012, and the wearing of it was tribute to Noren's highly glimpse-able body and also the you-go-girl impulse to show off black underwear under nude mesh. It is art school, and that's the spirit.

PG&E is having a contest to name three peregrine falcon chicks hatched about a month ago on a ledge outside the 33rd floor of PG&E headquarters. The chicks, offspring of Dapper Dan and Cher, were recently identified as female. They are watched over by the Predatory Bird Research Group at UC Santa Cruz. PG&E is using Twitter and Facebook to receive name suggestions; final winners will be decided by the researchers.

If you, dear readers, wish to say mazel tov in peregrine falconese: The Predatory Bird Research Group website informs us that falcons make an "ee-chup" sound and a "chip chip chip" sound and engage in cacking and wailing. To my mind, the ee-chup or chip-chip-chip is more festive than the latter two options.

Public Eavesdropping

"They look. They see you. Then they turn around and poop on you. The bastards."

Street person to street person, peering at the top of a rather speckled Market Street awning, overheard by Leah